Cup crazy: Lord Stanley's Cup makes a stop in Northern Michigan

HARBOR SPRINGS - It's been to Switzerland, the Ukraine, Russia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, all throughout Canada and many, many other places across the globe.

It's been touched by thousands, perhaps millions of people, lifted over heads, photographed hundreds of times on a daily basis and dreamed about by anyone who's ever laced up hockey skates.

Babies have been placed in it, horses have eaten out of it, gallons upon gallons of beer, champagne, or any imaginable liquid has been poured into it, and it's even been found at the bottom of a swimming pool.

Late Sunday evening, it made it's first-ever appearance to the Petoskey-Harbor Springs area.

Yes, the oldest trophy in North American sports, the Stanley Cup, touched down at Harbor Springs Airport just after 11:30 p.m. as delivered by Detroit Red Wings' veteran winger Darren McCarty via a small private plane.

Waiting at the quiet and otherwise empty airport was McCarty's longtime teammate and friend, Kris Draper, who along with a handful of friends impatiently watched the plane touch down.

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After a brief taxi down the runway, the 10-passenger aircraft came to a stop, a side door opened and second out of the craft was McCarty, who let out a giant sigh and quickly grabbed the Cup, then passed it immediately to Draper waiting 4 feet below.

"Here is it boys," McCarty said as the plane was greeted by a handful of onlookers.

Following a few photographs at the airport, the Cup was gathered up by Draper and Bill Wellman, who serves as one of four 'Keepers of the Cup,' and placed in the back of a GMC Yukon driven by Draper's good friend, Jon Lyons, where it was transported to Teddy Griffin's Roadhouse.

Let the party begin.

We want the Cup!

Just before the clock struck midnight, a small convoy of vehicles pulled into the parking lot of Teddy Griffin's Roadhouse, where the lot filled with vehicles didn't look anything like a typical Sunday night crowd.

Apparently, the secret was out.

McCarty and Draper, each of whom now has his name etched on hockey's Holy Grail four times, grabbed the Cup out of the back of Lyons' SUV, and together entered the tavern amid cheers of "We want the Cup, we want the Cup" and overflowing with Red Wings fans.

With flash bulbs popping and the chants increasing in volume, Draper and McCarty worked their way through the throng of patrons and placed the Cup at the center of the bar, where restaurant owner Joe Griffin lifted the prize proudly above his head, as did son Teddy Griffin to thunderous cheers.

From there, the Cup was placed on a small table, covered in red, at the east wing of the restaurant where hundreds of people squeezed for photo opportunities and a chance to meet Draper and McCarty and get a photo next to the trophy that after a six-year absence returned to Hockeytown with the Wings' 4-2 Finals victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Some people simply touched it, others kissed it, and some studied it as if they were preparing for a final exam.

On an otherwise quiet Sunday evening in a small Northern Michigan town, sports' most coveted prize made grown men and women feel like children again, put a few smiles on some faces and made a lifetime of memories.

Much like the NHL playoff slogan, the Cup does 'change everything.'

It never gets old

Draper, who has been with the Red Wings for 14 years, said the 2008 Stanley Cup championship ranks among his favorite.

"I have an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son and they were both in Pittsburgh when we won it," Draper said while awaiting the plane at the airport Sunday night. "I have a newborn as well and she was two days old for Game 1 of the Finals. When we won the Cup, she was about two weeks old.

"For me, it's been the greatest time."

Draper, who's speed, penalty killing capabilities and faceoff prowess all were key components in the Cup run, said he did have one regret this season, however.

"I felt bad we weren't able to close the deal in Game 5," said Draper, referring to the Wings' loss at home, when Pittsburgh scored with under 35 seconds remaining in regulation to tie it and send it to overtime, where the Penguins eventually won in three overtimes to force Game 6 in Pittsburgh.

"The end of Game 5 was the loudest I've ever heard it at the Joe. With less than a minute left and we're up by a goal," Draper said. "It was tough and it was very hard walking out of the rink that night. What a great chance we had and the city of Detroit was looking to erupt and looking for something to celebrate. We were so close."

The conclusion of Game 6 also was close, as series most valuable players Chris Osgood made a diving save on Pittsburgh's Marian Hossa as time expired.

"I thought we were going to finish it out that last 16 seconds in Game 6," Draper said. "We got the puck out to our neutral zone and honestly I thought the game was over. The puck was on Pavel's (Datsyuk) stick and usually when it is, the game's over, but Pittsburgh comes back and Ozzie made just an unbelievable save.